Systems and methods for sortation of products using a conveyer assembly

ABSTRACT

In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to the sortation of products using a conveyor assembly. In some embodiments, there is provided a system for receiving and sorting products shipped to a shopping facility including: a delivery location at a shopping facility configured to receive a shipment of products; a conveyor assembly comprising: a product identification module configured to read identification data from an identification label disposed on a product; a plurality of sortation modules configured to move the product to one of a predetermined plurality of sortation destination areas; a control circuit operatively coupled to the product identification module and to each of the sortation modules, the control circuit configured to: receive the identification data from the product identification module; determine the sortation destination area for the product based at least on one of shopping facility data and shipping data regarding the product as sortation criteria; and cooperate with the plurality of sortation modules to move the product to the determined sortation destination area.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation application of U.S. Application No.17/025,606, filed Sep. 18, 2020, which is a continuation application ofU.S. Application No. 15/591,499, filed May 10, 2017, now U.S. Pat. No.10,810534, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/336,051, filed May 13, 2016, U.S. Provisional Application No.62/336,064, filed May 13, 2016, U.S. Provisional Application No.62/336,080, filed May 13, 2016, and U.S. Provisional Application No.62/336,087, filed May 13, 2016, which are all incorporated herein byreference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention relates generally to the sortation of products using aconveyor assembly, and more particularly, to the sortation of productsusing a modular conveyor assembly at a shopping facility.

BACKGROUND

In the retail setting, the delivery, unloading, and sorting of productsat a shopping facility is an important component of the efficientoperation of the shopping facility. This procedure frequently involvesthe use of a conveyor assembly to sort the various types of productsinto appropriate categories for transport to various parts of theshopping facility. In some conventional approaches, this delivery,unloading, and sorting process has been a completely manual process. Insome forms, this process has involved the use of a conveyor assembly inwhich some employees load products onto and push the products down theconveyor assembly and in which other employees determine the destinationof each product and take the product from the line to the destination.This manual process can be a labor intensive approach that may require asignificant amount of employee time to complete the unloading andsorting and may also require a significant amount of training. Further,it may lead to sorting mistakes resulting from human error.

Many shopping facilities have limited and/or changing space in back roomareas for receiving shipments of products. Further, the dimensions andgeometric arrangements of these back rooms may vary from one shoppingfacility to another. It is desirable to use a modular conveyor assemblythat can be reconfigured to accommodate these different back roomgeometries. Also, it would be desirable to use a conveyor assemblycomposed of modules that can be easily interchanged or replaced withother modules.

In addition, shopping facilities often have changing needs with respectto the sorting, arrangement, and/or distribution of products within theshopping facility. It would be desirable to identify a product beingsorted and to use a flexible, automated sorting process that can easilychange sortation criteria based on various categories of data relatingto that product at the shopping facility. In some conventionalprocesses, sorting destinations may be determined at distributioncenters prior to shipment and included in product labels. In suchinstances, the data used as sortation criteria may be outdated, i.e.,the data used for sorting may be days old by the time products arrive atthe shopping facility. So, it would also be desirable to use real-timedata relating to the shipment of products being received as sortationcriteria.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Disclosed herein are embodiments of systems, apparatuses and methodspertaining to the sortation of products using a modular conveyorassembly. This description includes drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a schematic representation of a conveyorassembly in accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 2 is a top exploded plan view of a schematic representation of asortation module in accordance with several embodiments;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a schematic portion of a conveyor assemblyin accordance with some embodiments;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a schematic representation of aproduct identification module in accordance with several embodiments;

FIGS. 5A and 5B are top plan views of schematic representations of anarrangement of sortation modules in accordance with some embodiments;

FIGS. 6A and 6B are top plan views of schematic representations of anarrangement of sortation modules in accordance with several embodiments

FIG. 7 is a block diagram in accordance with several embodiments;

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram in accordance with several embodiments;

FIG. 9 is a block diagram in accordance with several embodiments;

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram in accordance with several embodiments;

FIG. 11 is a block diagram in accordance with several embodiments;

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram in accordance with several embodiments;

FIG. 13 is a block diagram in accordance with several embodiments; and

FIG. 14 is a flow diagram in accordance with several embodiments;

Elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity andhave not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensionsand/or relative positioning of some of the elements in the figures maybe exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improveunderstanding of various embodiments of the present invention. Also,common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in acommercially feasible embodiment are often not depicted in order tofacilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of thepresent invention. Certain actions and/or steps may be described ordepicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in theart will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence isnot actually required. The terms and expressions used herein have theordinary technical meaning as is accorded to such terms and expressionsby persons skilled in the technical field as set forth above exceptwhere different specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Generally speaking, pursuant to various embodiments, systems,apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful for the sortation ofproducts using a conveyor assembly. In one form, there is provided asystem for receiving and sorting products shipped to a shopping facilityincluding: a delivery location at a shopping facility configured toreceive a shipment of products; a conveyor assembly including: a productidentification module configured to read identification data from anidentification label disposed on a product; a plurality of sortationmodules configured to move the product to one of a predeterminedplurality of sortation destination areas; a control circuit operativelycoupled to the product identification module and to each of thesortation modules, the control circuit configured to: receive theidentification data from the product identification module; determinethe sortation destination area for the product based at least on one ofshopping facility data and shipping data regarding the product assortation criteria; and cooperate with the plurality of sortationmodules to move the product to the determined sortation destinationarea.

In one form the delivery location may include a loading dock at theshopping facility configured to receive delivery vehicles. Further, theproduct identification module may include a scan tunnel or armpositioned above or adjacent one of the plurality of sortation modules.In addition, the conveyor assembly may further include: a plurality ofpowered rollers disposed at predetermined locations along the conveyorassembly; and a plurality of sensors disposed at predetermined locationsalong the conveyor assembly to detect positions of the product. Also,the control circuit may be operatively coupled to the plurality ofpowered rollers and to the plurality of sensors, the control circuitconfigured to activate a powered roller to adjust the speed of theproduct to maintain a predetermined minimum separation distance betweenit and an adjacent product.

In one form, the product identification module and plurality ofsortation modules may be reconfigurable for coupling to one another todefine different geometric arrangements of the conveyor assembly.Further, the control circuit may track the positions of the plurality ofdestination areas after the sortation modules are interchanged orreconfigured. In addition, the system may further include an operatorinterface configured to control the conveyor assembly.

In another form, there is provided a method for receiving and sortingproducts shipped to a shopping facility including: receiving a shipmentof products at a delivery location at a shopping facility; depositing aproduct on a conveyor assembly; reading identification data from anidentification label disposed on the product; moving the product alongthe conveyor assembly; by a control circuit, receiving theidentification data from the product identification module; by thecontrol circuit, determining the sortation destination area for theproduct from among a predetermined plurality of sortation destinationareas based at least on one of shopping facility data and shipping dataregarding the product as sortation criteria; and moving the product tothe determined sortation destination area.

In one form, the method may further include unloading the shipment ofproducts from a delivery vehicle. In addition, the method may furtherinclude transporting the product from the determined sortationdestination area to a corresponding location for the product in theshopping facility.

In one form, the method may further include, by the control circuit,selectively determining the sortation destination area based on thesales location of the product in the shopping facility. Moreover, themethod may further include, by the control circuit, selectivelydetermining the sortation destination area based, at least in part, onshopping facility inventory information regarding the product. Also, themethod may further include, by the control circuit, selectivelydetermining the sortation destination area based, at least in part, oncurrent product availability information at the shopping facility. Inaddition, the method may further include, by the control circuit,selectively determining the sortation destination area based on thequantity of the product delivered in the shipment of products.

Currently, many receiving processes (i.e., unloading and sorting) aremanual processes. In some forms, prior to delivery, employees mayarrange a sorting area by positioning carts and pallets at specificdestination locations. For example, some pallets may be intended to holdproducts that are destined for aisle displays and/or promotions. When adelivery vehicle arrives at the shopping facility with a shipment, theproducts may be unloaded onto a relatively fixed and stationary conveyorextending linearly and may be manually pushed downstream along theconveyor surface. In some conventional processes, the employee may haveto read the identification label to identify the product and may thenhave to make a decision as to the appropriate destination location.Individuals may randomly remove cases of products from the conveyor andmay haphazardly seek out the appropriate destination location. Once allof the products are unloaded, they may then be moved from thedestination location to an appropriate location within the shoppingfacility.

This manual receiving process (including unloading, conveying, andsorting) presents a number of disadvantages. It is a labor intensiveprocess and presents staffing issues. Further, the manual nature of thework (involving frequent lifting and carrying of cases of products)presents the potential for workplace injuries. Further, there may belittle prioritization in the process, and an out-of-stock orlow-inventory product may sit in a receiving area for some time beforeit is stocked on a shelf.

Initially, there is described below a general structure for a conveyorassembly 100. Some of the types of structures used with conveyorassemblies (and their operation and function) are fairly well-known andrequire little discussion. Further, there are available many types ofdifferent structures that can perform the same general conveyoroperation and function. Accordingly, the initial description belowaddress general structure, operation, and function to provide suitablecontext. Schematic representations of portions of a conveyor assemblyare therefore included with the understanding that conveyor structure isfairly well-known and various structures are available.

Referring to FIGS. 1-4 , there is shown a schematic representation of anexemplary conveyor assembly 100 and components thereof. The conveyorassembly 100 is composed of various modules, and in one form, it mayinclude an initial conveyor module 102, a product identification module104, and a plurality of sortation modules 106 (FIG. 1 shows foursortation modules 106). Rollers on these modules 102, 104, and 106 maycollectively define the conveying surface of the conveyor assembly 100.In this form, products in cases (or other containers) may be unloadedfrom a delivery vehicle at a delivery location 116 (such as at theloading dock of a shopping facility) and may be deposited on the initialconveyor module 102, which serves as a staging area for products passingthrough the product identification module 104. The initial conveyormodule 102 may be coupled to or positioned adjacent to the productidentification module 104. In another form, multiple delivery vehiclesmay be unloaded simultaneously, and the initial conveyor module 102 mayserve as a way to funnel the products so that only one product passesthrough the product identification module 104 at a time. In anotherform, the conveyor assembly 100 may not include an initial conveyormodule 102 at all, and products may instead be unloaded directly from adelivery vehicle onto the product identification module 104 one at atime.

So, in one form, it is generally contemplated that the products in ashipment to the shopping facility will be unloaded from a deliveryvehicle and placed on the conveyor assembly 100. The cases may passthrough the product identification module 104 and may haveidentification labels positioned and oriented on the cases so as to beread by the product identification module 104. When passing through themodule 104, the product will be identified and sorted along the conveyorassembly 100 to one of several destination areas 114, pursuant to any ofvarious adjustable sortation criteria. As described further below, insome forms, a product identification module 104 is not required at all.Instead, in some forms, a hand scanner may be used to identify theproduct, and the product may then be loaded on the sortation modules 106or a conveyor portion (such as a powered, flexible or fixed lengthroller) to the first sortation module 106.

If present, the product identification module 104 generally readsidentification data from an identification label disposed on a productpassing through or adjacent the module 104. The product identificationmodule 104 may include one or more of any of various sorts of readers118 suitable for reading various types of labels, including a bar codereader, an RFID reader, an NFC reader, a laser imager, an opticalsensor, an image processor, or a text capture device. Generally, thelabel and product may have to be oriented in a certain configuration,such as facing upwardly and extending horizontally, so as to be readableby the reader 118. In addition, the product identification module mayinclude multiple readers that are configured to read variousorientations of the labels. Alternatively, some types of readers may notbe limited by the orientation of the label.

In one form, the product identification module 104 may be in the shapeof a scan tunnel or arm 120. The product identification module 104 mayinclude a plurality of rollers 122 for moving the products through themodule 104. Further, at least one of the rollers 122 may be a poweredroller 124 in order to propel the products through the module 104. Anoperator interface 126 may be coupled to a control circuit thatactivates the powered roller(s) to move the products through the module104. The product identification module 104 may also include supportwheels 128, which facilitate mobility and storage of the module 104 whenthe conveyor assembly 100 is not in use. As should be evident, theproduct identification module 104 may be any of various shapes,dimensions, and types.

As the products pass through the module 104, the product identificationlabel is read and the product is identified. As used herein, the phraseproduct identification label refers broadly to any sort of productidentifier, such as, for example, graphics that are machine readable.Additional data regarding the product may also be included on the labeland may be read by the module 104, as addressed further below. Thisidentification data (and any additional data) may be used in thesortation process to determine a destination area 114 for the product,as addressed below.

In turn, the product identification module 104 is coupled to a sortationmodule 106. Each sortation module 106 is then coupled to anothersortation module 106 to form a sequential arrangement of modules 106.The modules 104 and 106 may be coupled in any appropriate manner. Forexample, they may simply be arranged side-by-side, or they may befastened to one another to prevent misalignment of the modules 104 and106. The number of sortation modules 106 may be selected so as to fitwithin the size of space available to the conveyor assembly 100, andthereby, the conveyor assembly 100 is adjustable in size and orientationby the addition or subtraction of one or more modules 106.

In one form, the sortation modules 106 are generally identical andinterchangeable. Each sortation module 106 may include a travel portion108, a sorting portion 110, and a coupling portion 112. The travelportion 108 may be uni-directional and include a plurality of rollers130 configured to propel the product in a first (or forward) directionalong the rollers. Uni-directional generally refers to the capability tomove the products in a forward or backward direction. The shape of thesortation module may be adjusted to accommodate space limitations. Forexample, the sortation module 106 may be T-shaped with two couplingportions 112 or may be L-shaped with one of the coupling portions 112folded down or removed.

In one form, the sorting portion 110 is bi-directional and may include afirst set of longitudinal rollers 132 configured to propel the productin the first (or forward) direction and a second set of longitudinalrollers 134 to divert the product in a second direction (or sideways) toa sortation destination area 114. In one form, it is contemplated that acontrol circuit may cause the second set of rollers to “pop up,” orelevate, when a product is to be diverted to a destination are. Further,it is generally contemplated that there will be two destination areas114 for each sorting portion 110 (one to the left and one to the right),and the second set of rollers 134 are rotatable in a clockwise orcounterclockwise manner so as to divert the product to one of these twodestination areas 114. If the product is to proceed in the first (orforward) direction, it is propelled in that direction by the first setof rollers 132, and the second set of rollers 134 do not “pop up.”

In FIG. 1 , the sortation module 106 is shown with the travel portion108 arranged before the sorting portion 110. However, it should beunderstood that this arrangement may be reversed so that the productreaches the sorting portion 110 and may then proceed in any one of threedirections, i.e., straight along the travel portion 108 or sidewaysalong one of the coupling portions 112. In some instances thisarrangement may have the advantage of provided for three destinationareas 114 (rather than just two).

Further, it should be understood that this type of conveyor assembly 100is just one example. This disclosure addresses various features of theconveying and sorting process, and these features may not rely on anyspecific type of conveyor assembly. For example, although rollers aredescribed, in some forms, the conveyor assemblies may use otherconveying structures, such as belts, in addition to or in lieu ofrollers. As another example, although certain diverting technology isdescribed (sorting portion 110), other ways of diverting products mayalso be used, such as tilting of conveyor portions.

In summary, the sorting portion 110 can sort products in multipledirections (e.g., left or right). In some implementations, each sortingportion 110 can include a first set rollers 132 to allow products totravel in a first direction along the conveyor assembly 100, andseparate pop-up rollers 134 that are activated to direct the product inone of the multiple directions. Sensors can detect when the product isapproaching and/or on the sortation module 106, and the control circuitcan activate the sortation module 106 (e.g., signal to raise the pop-uprollers 134) and a direction to route. A sensor can detect when theproduct is off of the sortation module 106 to deactivate the sortingportion 110 (e.g., a photo-eye to cause the pop-up rollers to lower).When the product does not need to be diverted, the product may passstraight onto a subsequent outbound sortation module 106.

The coupling portion 112 includes a plurality of rollers 136 andconnects the sorting portion 110 to a destination area 114. It isgenerally contemplated that there may be two coupling portions 112 foreach sortation module 106 with each coupling portion 112 ending in adestination area. Further, the each coupling portion 112 is preferablyadjustable in length to accommodate different space limitations for theconveyor assembly 100. It is also preferably collapsible to facilitatestorage of the sortation module 106 when not in use. For example, thecoupling portions 112 may be foldable with respect to the sortingportion 110, and/or the travel portion 108 may be foldable with respectto the sorting portion 110. Further, the sortation module 106 mayinclude support wheels to also facilitate storage of the module 106.

In one form, the destination areas 114 may simply be the ends of thecoupling portions 112. For example, prior to sorting, pallets 138 andcarts 140 may be arranged adjacent to the ends of the coupling portions112, and when the sorting is completed, the products in each destinationarea 114 may be moved to a corresponding pallet 138 or cart 140.Alternatively, the destination areas 114 may be the carts 138 or pallets140 themselves and may be entirely separate from the coupling portions112.

Generally, the sortation modules 106 may constitute a unitary structure,in which each module 106 include the travel portion 108, the sortingportion 110, and two coupling portions 112. However, as should beevident, the sortation modules 106 need not be a unitary structure.Instead, the sortation module 106 may include separate and/or separabletravel, sorting, and/or coupling units. They may be assembled orfashioned together in some manner or simply disposed adjacent of oneanother.

The conveyor assembly 100 may be composed of various arrangementspowered rollers and non-powered rollers. Non-powered rollers may becoupled to powered rollers in some way, such as by a belt. In one form,it is contemplated that each sortation module 106 includes at least onepowered roller 124 with an adjustable rotation speed to maintain aminimum distance between adjacent products. In other words, the controlcircuit detects the positions of products on the conveyor assembly 100and may vary the speed of individual rollers or groups of rollers inorder to effectively sort/divert individual products or cases to aspecific destination. For example, the travel portion 106 may include apowered roller 124, and adjustment of the rotation speed of this poweredroller 124 may cause a product traveling on the roller surface to speedup or slow down. The conveyor assembly 100 may maintain a minimumdistance between adjacent products through the use of a plurality ofsensors 138 disposed at predetermined locations on the plurality ofsortation modules 106 to detect positions of the products travelingalong the sortation modules 106. In one form, the sensors 138 may beoptical sensors (or any of various other sensor types) spacedequidistantly along the conveyor assembly 100 that detect products. Inthis form, the control circuit may be operatively coupled to poweredrollers 124 to adjust their rotational speeds. The control circuit maycooperate with the sensors to determine the position of a productrelative to an adjacent product and may activate a powered roller 124 toadjust the speed of the product to maintain a certain minimum separationdistance between these adjacent products.

In one form, there is disclosed a system 200 including a conveyorassembly 201 having sortation modules 206 that are readilyreconfigurable to adjust to changing or disparate space limitations. So,for example, the conveyor assembly 201 may be reconfigured for use inthe back room of a shopping facility with changing space limitations.Alternatively, the conveyor assembly 200 may be the basis for astandardized model used in different back rooms with different spacelimitations and that may be reconfigured differently for each shoppingfacility. This conveyor assembly 201 is a scaled down model and isconfigurable. In the shopping facility context, space is often at apremium in the back rooms of stores, so the modular nature is anadvantage.

The modular conveyor system 200 enables multiple different sortationmodules 206 to be coupled together to form a conveyor assembly 201intended to be utilized with a product sorting system that autonomouslysorts products being unloaded from delivery trucks at a shoppingfacility. The sortation modules 206 can easily be decoupled to allow foreasier storing and to allow the conveyor assembly 201 to be moved out ofthe way when not in use (e.g., in the back storage area of the shoppingfacility). When the sortation modules 206 are coupled together, theirpositions can be automatically determined along the conveyor assembly201 and/or relative to one or more other sortation modules 206 withoutmanual inputs (e.g., if module A is supposed to be placed before moduleB, but is instead placed after module B, module A and module B willreconfigure sortation destinations to match the physically/geometricallycorrect sort destinations). The sortation modules 206 need not bearranged in a specific order or arrangement of modules. System 200involves interchangeable sortation modules 206, and an initial conveyormodule and/or a product identification module (such as described above)are optional.

An example is shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B. FIG. 5A is a schematic diagramshowing four sortation modules 206A, B, C, D extending sequentially fromleft to right in a linear arrangement. Of course, one or more sortationmodules 206 may be added or removed to alter the length. Also, one ormore of the coupling portions 212 may be folded down to accommodateirregular spaces. FIG. 5B is a schematic diagram in which thearrangement conveyor assembly 201 has been modified to a branched form.In this form, the fourth sortation module 206D has been shifted to a newdownward position off of a coupling portion 212 of the third sortationmodule 206C.

Another advantage of the conveyor assembly 201 is that it tracksdestination areas (or zones) 214 even when one sortation module 206 isreplaced or interchanged with another sortation module 206. Morespecifically, a control circuit 216 and/or the sortation modules 206themselves are able to track the positions of the sortation module 206and adjust the operation of the units accordingly to send products tothe correct destination area (or zone) 214, such as within the back roomof a shopping facility. In this context, the term control circuit 216refers broadly to any microcontroller, computer, or processor-baseddevice with processor, memory, and programmable input/outputperipherals, which is generally designed to govern the operation ofother components and devices. It is further understood to include commonaccompanying accessory devices, including memory, transceivers forcommunication with other components and devices, etc. Thesearchitectural options are well known and understood in the art andrequire no further description here. The control circuit 216 may beconfigured (for example, by using corresponding programming stored in amemory as will be well understood by those skilled in the art) to carryout one or more of the steps, actions, and/or functions describedherein.

Another example is shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B. FIG. 6A is a schematicdiagram again showing the four sortation modules 206A, B, C, D extendingsequentially from left to right in a linear arrangement. In this form,there are a total of eight destination areas (or zones) with Zones A andE corresponding to sortation module 206A, Zones B and F corresponding tosortation module 206B, Zones C and G corresponding to sortation module206C, and Zones D and H corresponding to sortation module 206 D. In FIG.6B, the sortation modules have been rearranged so that they are in thefollowing sequential order from left to right: 206C, 206D, 206A, and206B. It is generally contemplated that, in preparation for eachunloading option, the sortation modules 206 will be removed from astorage area where they may be arranged haphazardly. When they are setup for unloading, it is contemplated that they will be arranged in thedesired geometric pattern (for example, linearly) without regard to howthey have been arranged in past unloading operations. As can be seen inFIGS. 6A and 6B, it is contemplated that the destination areas (orzones) 214 will remained fixed or constant regardless of the newrelative positions of the sortation modules 206.

It is also contemplated that the system 200 is arranged for automaticdynamic configuration based on a reduced number of modules. Essentially,if a sortation module 206 becomes impaired and is not replaced, thesystem 200 may distribute products to the remaining destination areas(or zones) based on certain criteria. For example, the control circuit216 may be configured to select an alternative destination area 214based on destination “load” (the alternative destination area 214 isexpected to receive a low number of product cases) or product salesfloor location (the sales floor location of products sent to thealternative destination area 214 is close to the sales floor location ofproducts send to the impaired module 206). In one approach, thisreconfiguration may be predetermined, i.e., a specific default profilemay be created to address a specific reduction in the number ofavailable destination areas 214.

This automatic dynamic configuration approach may arise in severalsituations. First, the forward conveyor portion of the sortation module206 may be operational, but the divert portion may not be working. So,the impaired sortation module 206 may still deliver products to othersortation modules 206. Second, if the impaired module 206 is completelynon-functional and no replacement module is available, it can be removedfrom the conveyor assembly 201, and the destination areas 214 can bereconfigured. In both of these examples, the number of availabledestination areas 214 is reduced, so the system 200 provides forautomatic dynamic configuration to send affected products to newdestination areas 214.

It is generally contemplated that the determination of the positions ofthe sortation modules 206 may be determined when the conveyor assembly201 is powered up via an operator interface for an unloading and sortingoperation. In one form, it is contemplated that the control circuit 216includes a controller core 218 that communicates with each sortationmodule 206A, 206B, 206C, and 206D to track the position of eachsortation module. Alternatively, or in addition, it is contemplated thateach sortation module 206A, 206B, 206C, and 206D may also communicatewith other sortation modules to track the position of each sortationmodule relative to one another. The sortation modules 206 may includesensors and/or separate controllers to facilitate the detection of theirrelative positions.

In one form, this disclosure describes the use of a controller core 218.This core may be housed at or near the conveyor assembly 201 itself,such as inside the product identification module 204. However, it isalso contemplated that control may be handled remotely. In one example,the system 200 may include an input/output hub that communicateswirelessly with a shopping facility server facility or a cloud computingsystem using remote server(s). In this example, processing would occurremotely, not at the conveyor assembly 201.

The determination of the presence and/or positions of the sortationmodules 206 may be handled in various ways. One approach is to employ amaster/slave architecture with two way communication. In one example,the control circuit 216 may include a controller core 218 that querieseach sortation module 206, i.e., the core 214 transmits a signal to eachsortation module 206 and, in response, each sortation module 206transmits a return signal. In other words, the system 200 may utilize aquery/response model with the main core 218 making a query to eachsortation module 206 and expecting a response from it to ascertain theposition of the modules 206 installed in the system 200. Characteristicsof these signals, or simply their presence, may be used by the core 218to determine the relative positions of the sortation modules 206, i.e.,that sortation module 206B is downstream of sortation module 206A.

Alternatively, in another example, each sortation module 206 may beconfigured to automatically transmit a signal upon being powered up. Inother words, each sortation module 206 may self-detect its installationand position and announce its presence and position to the controllercore 218. This approach may rely on one-way communication to establishposition. Optionally, this approach could have each sortation module 206continue to transmit a signal at predetermined time intervals untilreceiving some sort of acknowledgment signal from the controller core218. In other words, if the sortation module 206 does not receive anacknowledge message back from the core 218, the module 206 will wait aperiod of time (either random or fixed duration) and make anotherannouncement attempt.

In another form, sensors or separate controllers of the sortationmodules 206 may be “daisy chained” together so that the each sortationmodule 206 communicates with the other sortation modules 206, i.e.,sortation module 206B “knows” that it is downstream of sortation module206A. In other words, separate controllers may provide some sort ofquery/response signals or announcement signal amongst each other todetermine relative positions. This approach may also involvecommunications and signals to the controller core 218. Under anyapproach, this determination of relative position also enables the useof spare sortation modules 206 that can replace damaged or defectivesortation modules, thereby minimizing down time of the conveyor assembly201.

This position determination may need to be customized for branchedconveyor assemblies, such as shown in FIG. 5B. For example, in one form,Zone F may be fed by two lines, which may be permissible because of thevolume or size of items sorted to that zone or other reasons. Thedestination areas 214 should be matched to the appropriate sortationmodules 206.

In this configuration in FIG. 5B, Zone F now has two branches of theconveyor assembly 201 leading to it. It is generally contemplated thateach branch may have one or more sensors (such as photoeyes/photoelectric sensors) to determine when a product has beendiverted and/or when a branch or destination is full. In one form, avisual or auditory alert can be provided to notify and employee that abranch or destination is full and needs to be cleared manually.

In another form, a control circuit 216 may be configured to select analternative destination area 214 when the branch or destination area 214is full. In other words, the system 200 can send products to the seconddestination for Zone F if the first is detected to be full (and viceversa if the second destination is the default and is detected to befull). Also, FIG. 5B shows that Zone G is lost due to the branchedconfiguration. In this form, the control circuit 216 may combine theproducts that would have been sorted to Zone G into a different zone.This new zone sort decision may be based on such facts as the expectedzone case count or volume (the product is assigned to the new zone withthe fewest expected products). As another example, the new zone sortdecision may be based on the closest physical destination to theoriginal, i.e., the closest zone or an adjacent zone.

FIG. 7 shows a block diagram showing various components of the exemplarysystem 200. In one form, the control circuit may be in communicationwith several (in this example, four) sortation modules 206A-D. Thecontrol circuit may include a controller core 218 that communicates withthe sortation module 206A-D to track their relative positions. Thecontrol circuit 216 may receive input in the form of sortation criteriain which certain types of products are to be sorted to the samedestination. The control circuit 216 may assign destination areas 210A-Gto the sortation module 206A-D in the appropriate position.

FIG. 8 shows an exemplary process 300 for unloading and sorting usinginterchangeable sortation modules 206. At block 302, a delivery vehiclearrives at a delivery location, such as at a loading dock of a shoppingfacility, and at block 304, the conveyor assembly (such as conveyorassembly 100 described above) is set up or has been set up already priorto delivery. At block 306, the sortation modules are arranged in noparticular order relative to one another. They may be arranged in anydesired number and geometric pattern. At blocks 308-12, the controlcircuit correlates the destination areas (or zones) with the desiredsortation criteria, communicates with the sortation modules, and assignsa destination areas to a sortation module that is in the appropriateposition. At blocks 314 and 316, the unloading operation commences, andproducts are sorted to destination areas in accordance with thesortation criteria. After the sorting operation is completed, thesortation modules may be stored without a need to track the order of thesortation modules for future unloading and sorting operations.

In another form, there is disclosed a system 400 that uses a productidentification module 404 to identify the product and to accesssortation criteria relating to the product. In some conventionalapproaches, reading a product label may not provide information specificto that product that might be accessible at a shopping facility or otherlocation where the conveyor assembly is operating. Here, in contrast, itis contemplated that the control circuit 416 in cooperation with theproduct identification module 404 is able to identify the product andcross-reference information, possibly from multiple sites and sources.System 400 addresses a product identification module 404, and the natureof sortation modules is less significant.

Referring to FIG. 9 , the production identification module 404 maygenerally be in any shape suitable for reading identification labels 420on products 422. In one form, the product identification module 404 is ascan tunnel or arm 424 extending above a plurality of rollers thatsupport and propel the products 406 therethrough. The productidentification module 404 includes a reader 426 for reading theidentification labels 420, and as mentioned above, the reader 426 may beany of various known reader types, such as a bar code reader, an RFIDreader, an NFC reader, a laser imager, an optical sensor, an imageprocessor, or a text capture device. The production identificationmodule 404 may be in any general form as long as its reader 426 isproperly oriented for reading identification labels 420 on products 422passing nearby or through it. In another form, the productidentification module 404 may include multiple readers formulti-position scanning to avoid failure to scan based on faulty labelorientation. For example, the readers may be over head, underneath,along the sides, between rollers, and/or front or rear facing readerswith respect to the product.

The data from the identification label 420 is transmitted to controlcircuit 416. If the product identification module 404 is unable to readthe label 420 (such as because of improper orientation or a damagedlabel), the control circuit 416 communicates with the sortation modules406 to divert the product 422 to a predetermined (or default)destination area 428 for unscannable products. A user with a handheldscanner 430 may then attempt to manually scan the label 420, and thereading from this scanner 430 may be transmitted to the control circuit416. At that point, the product 422 may be placed on the sortationmodules 406 for sortation, the user may manually deposit the product 422in a destination area, or the product 422 may be left for furtherhandling after sortation is completed. Alternatively, instead ofattempted rescanning, the product may be taken manually to anappropriate destination area.

Once the product 422 is identified, it is contemplated that the controlcircuit 416 will use the product identification 438 to access other data(sortation data 440) relating to the product as sortation criteria toselectively determine the destination area for the product 422. It iscontemplated that a sortation criteria has been selected by the user,and the control circuit 416 will access product data 440 to determinethe destination area in view of the selected sortation criteria. In oneform, it is contemplated that the control circuit 416 accesses theproduct data in any of various ways, such as via push, pull, or directaccess to a database.

In one form, the product data may be stored in a local database 432associated with the control circuit 416. For example, the product datamay be communicated via flat file(s) with a small fixed number of fieldsthat might be sent to designated file directories on a controller core(or a shopping facility server or a cloud computing system). In oneform, one file might contain certain data from a distribution centerserver (the source of the shipment of products) that would enableproduct identification 438 (such as by mapping of the identificationlabel 420 to the product 422), while a second file might come from theshopping facility server (or from a remote central headquarters) and maycontain the product data used for sorting and determining thedestination areas, such as the product location information within theshopping facility (i.e., department/category/sequence and aislelocation(s)). This file transfer may occur on a daily interval or withinsome other predetermined time interval, and the control circuit 416 maycheck for new files each time a sortation operation is initiated. In oneform, if the control circuit 416 fails to locate and identify any newflat files, it may note this failure but continue sortation operationsutilizing data from the previous flat files.

In another form, the control circuit 416 may wirelessly access theserver of the shipping source (or distribution center) and the server ofthe shopping facility to access this data. In one form, the productlabel 420 may be a label corresponding to a specific merchandisedistribution center, which is the shipping source for the shipment ofproducts. It is contemplated that, once the distribution center isidentified via the label 420, its database(s) may be queried foradditional data regarding the shipment of products, i.e., “backtracking”information from the distribution center. In this example, the controlcircuit 416 may identify the product by accessing the distributioncenter database 434 and mapping the scanned identification label 420 tothe corresponding product 422. It may then access the shopping facilitydatabase 436 (or remote central headquarters database) to determine theproduct data used for sorting, such as the product location informationwithin the shopping facility (i.e., department and aisle location). Itis generally contemplated that live access to shopping facility andshipping source databases will be a preferred approach.

Of course, the product identification 438 and other data may becollected by some combination of local and remote databases. As anotherexample, to identify the product, the control circuit may accessdistribution center data in several ways (either via push, pull, ordirect access to the shipping source/distribution center database). Oncethe product is identified, the product may be linked to otherdistribution center data (acquired via any of the above approaches),shopping facility data, and/or any locally stored data in order todetermine the destination.

Referring to FIG. 10 , in one form, there is disclosed a process 500that uses a production identification module 402. The module reads aproduct identification label, and a control circuit uses this data toboth identify the product and to access sortation criteria relating tothe product. It is generally contemplated that the control circuitpreferably accesses real time data during the sortation procedure todetermine the appropriate destination area based on sortation criteriaselected by the user.

At block 502, the product identification module reads the identificationlabel. As described above, the module may be any of various structures.Further, the module may include any of various types of known readers,and the label may be any of various machine readable codes. At block504, the control circuit receives the identification data read by theproduct identification module.

At block 506, the control circuit determines if the identification isreadable. If it is not readable, the control circuit communicates withthe sortation modules to direct the product to an unscannable productdestination area, as shown at block 508. In other words, when the readercannot read the label, the product is identified as unknown, and thesystem can direct the unidentified product to a predefined “manualintervention” staging zone. The product will be handled manually at thatdestination area.

At block 510, the control circuit identifies the product. It may makethis identification based on accessing any of various databases. Forexample, in one form, it may access a local database 512 that is updatedperiodically with data mapping the label to the product and that isdownloaded to a memory device or database that the control circuit canaccess without accessing a server. In another form, the control circuitmay wirelessly communicate via server 514 with a distribution centerdatabase 516, the source of the shipment of products.

At block 518, following identification of the product, the controlcircuit accesses sortation data related to the product. Processing speedis a consideration, so accessing only the necessary data may bedesirable as that will increase processing and sorting speed, as well asreduce data transmission cost and errors. It is contemplated that theuser has previously selected one of various types of sortation criteriafor the sortation of products. In one form, there may be “defaultprofiles” that have been created to address known circumstances. Inanother form, the user may customize a profile to adapt the sortationcriteria to circumstances at the shopping facility. Also, as addressedabove, automatic dynamic configuration may be available to re-setdestination areas when a sortation module is impaired or non-functional.

At this step, it is contemplated that the control circuit will accessthe specific product information corresponding to the sortationcriteria. For example, it may have been determined that the sortationcriteria would be the sales location in the shopping facility, so therelevant product information may be the department and/or aisle wherethe product is sold. In this example, the control circuit may wirelesslyaccess the shopping facility database 520 to collect this relevantproduct information. Alternatively, it may have been downloaded andaccessible via a local database 512.

At block 522, the control circuit determines the sortation destinationarea for the product. In this example, certain sortation destinationareas may correspond to specific departments, aisles, or geographicalareas of the shopping facility. At block 524, the control circuitcommunicates with the sortation modules to transport the product to theappropriate destination area.

In another form, there is disclosed a smart routing system 600. Thesystem may use the conveyor assembly and modules described above, butthe nature of the modules is less significant for this smart routingsystem 600 (so other types of modules may be used). A user may selectcertain sortation criteria suitable for sorting and may modify thiscriterion prior to any sorting operation and provide a systematicapproach to sorting. This flexible approach allows a user to prioritizethe criteria and to develop algorithms providing weight to variousproduct factors. In the shopping facility context, the sortationcriteria may be customized to each store’s individual needs and allowsconsideration of different factors.

Referring to FIG. 11 , the system 600 includes a control circuit 602that uses any of various sortation criteria 604 to determine the sortingof products by the conveyor assembly. It is generally contemplated thatthe various sorting approaches and algorithms may be developed andinputted prior to the sorting operation and, when a new sortingoperation is to be initiated, the user can select any one of theseapproaches suitable for the circumstances. The system 600 may usemultiple tiers or a prioritization of sortation criteria, based onmultiple data points, rules, and algorithms. It is generallycontemplated that the sorting criteria may use data from multiplesources, including local databases, shipping source databases (such as adistribution center that ships the product and has data regarding thedetails of the shipment), and shopping facility (or centralheadquarters) databases. In other words, the control circuit 602 engagesin data processing, may “grab” information from multiple source, andruns an algorithm to determine the destination areas 624.

Some illustrations of sorting approaches are provided as follows. Atblock 606, the sortation criteria 604 may be based (entirely or in part)on the product location within the shopping facility. This productlocation information may include department, category, aisle, and/orother sales location information for the product at the shoppingfacility. The control circuit 602 may assign (and/or the user may input)different product locations to one or more of the destination areas 624of the conveyor assembly.

At block 608, the sortation criteria 604 may be based (entirely or inpart) on the product inventory within the shopping facility. Thisproduct inventory information may be based on several different types ofinventory measurements and may include, for example, on-hand inventoryand/or shelf capacity for the product at the shopping facility. Thecontrol circuit 602 may assign (and/or the user may input) differentinventory categories to one or more of the destination areas 624 of theconveyor assembly.

At block 610, the sortation criteria 604 may be based (entirely or inpart) on the product availability within the shopping facility. Thisproduct availability information may be based on several different typesof data points, which may include, for example, sales, return on sales,and/or lost sales for the product at the shopping facility. The controlcircuit 602 may assign (and/or the user may input) different productavailability categories to one or more of the destination areas 624 ofthe conveyor assembly.

At block 612, the sortation criteria 604 may be based (entirely or inpart) on future planned sales of the product at the shopping facility.This planning information may be based on several different types ofdata points, which may include, for example, new product status, not yeton shelf status and/or the date that the product will be available forsale at the shopping facility. The control circuit 602 may assign(and/or the user may input) different future planned sales categories toone or more of the destination areas 624 of the conveyor assembly.

At block 614, the sortation criteria 604 may be based (entirely or inpart) on staffing at the shopping facility during the unloading/sortingoperation. For example, if there is not much staffing available forunloading and/or sorting, it may be desirable to reduce the number ofdestination areas or to assign a destination area for products requiringimmediate handling. The control circuit 602 may assign (and/or the usermay input) one or more of the destination areas 624 of the conveyorassembly based on staffing.

At block 616, the sortation criteria 604 may be based (entirely or inpart) on the product storage status at the shopping facility. Forexample, the product may be flagged for storage in the back room, stockroom, or warehouse of the shopping facility. The product may be codedwith a special code indicating a large quantity of that product in theshipment, which should therefore be sent to a different area of theshopping facility (such as a back room or storage area, not a shelf).The control circuit 602 may assign (and/or the user may input) one ormore of the destination areas 624 of the conveyor assembly based onproduct storage status.

Of course, the sortation criteria 604 may be based on several differentsortation criteria outlined above with different weight and/orprioritization given to different factors. Different destination areas624 may be assigned based on different combinations of sortationcriteria. For example, seven of eight destination areas may be based onproduct location within the shopping facility, while the eighthdestination area is based on low inventory of the product at theshopping facility.

Another basis for sortation is the separation of high priority productsfrom low priority products. High priority products may be assigned to aspecific destination area 624 to make sure that they are handledimmediately. For example, these high priority products may includeproducts specifically ordered by a customer, products with limitedavailability that have been ordered from another shopping facility, orlimited time promotional products. Also, low priority products may beassigned to a specific destination area 624 to make sure that they arestored or binned. For example, a low priority product may includeproducts with high inventory at the shopping facility.

Further, as addressed above, it is generally contemplated that the datato which the sortation criteria are applied are available from ashopping facility database 618 and/or from a shipping source (such as adistribution center) database 620. In one form, it is generallycontemplated that a combination of data from both the shopping facilityand from the shipping source may be used. Further, shipping information,such as delivery quantity information, may be downloaded to the shoppingfacility database upon arrival of the delivery vehicle. As one example,the control circuit 602 may access shopping facility inventory todetermine that quantity of the product at the shopping facility fallsbelow a certain minimum threshold and may also access shipping sourcedata to determine the quantity and types of products being shipped. Thecontrol circuit 602 may direct a certain quantity of the product to onedestination area for immediate stocking on shopping facility shelves(“priority” products) and may direct the remaining quantity to a seconddestination area for storage in a back room (“to be binned” products).Once the sortation criteria are determined, the control circuitactivates the sortation modules 622 to direct the products to theappropriate destination areas 624.

Referring to FIG. 12 , there is shown one form of a process 700 that mayapply smart routing system 600. At block 702, the sortation criteria maybe determined. As explained above, the sortation criteria may be based,at least partially, on such factors as product location, productinventory, product availability, future planned sales, staffing, and/orproduct storage status at the shopping facility. Further, thedestination areas may be determined based on some combination of factorsand may be customized and prioritized as appropriate to thecircumstances. At blocks 704, 706, 708, 710, 712, and 714, the shoppingfacility database or databases may be accessed to collect datacorresponding to these sortation criteria. At block 716, the shippingsource (or distribution center) database or databases may be accessed tocollect shipping source data, such as, for example, quantity and type ofproducts shipped to the shopping facility. At block 718, the destinationarea for the product is determined based on the sortation criteria andproduct data. At block 720, the sortation modules direct each product tothe selected destination area.

In one form, the various components of a conveyor assembly describedabove are stand-alone embodiments (interchangeable sortation modules,product identification module, smart routing system, etc.) and do notnecessarily require components of other embodiments. However, it is alsocontemplated that the various components may be combined into an overallsystem for receiving, unloading, and sorting shipments of product at ashopping facility. It is contemplated that this overall receiving systemmay use some or all of the components.

Referring to FIG. 13 , in one form, there is shown a block diagram of anoverall receiving system 800. As can be seen, a delivery vehicle 802transports products from a shipping source 804 (such as a merchandisedistribution center) to a delivery location 806 at a shopping facility(such as a loading docking. The products are unloaded and sorted using aconveyor assembly 808, which may be activated via an operator interface810. A product identification module 812 includes one or more readers814 that reads the identification data from product labels 816, which istransmitted to control circuit 818. The conveyor assembly 808 mayinclude sensors 820 that detect and/or track product position to allowthe control circuit 818 to operate powered rollers 822 in the sortationmodules 824 to maintain the minimum distance between products. Thecontrol circuit 818 may identify the products by accessing a shippingsource database (or a local database) and may sort the products todestination areas 826 via sortation modules 824 using data from shippingsource, shopping facility, and/or local databases. Following the sortingoperation, products may be transported from destination areas 826 totheir appropriate shopping facility product locations 828, such as bypallets and carts.

Referring to FIG. 14 , in one form, there is shown a flow diagram of anoverall receiving process 900. At blocks 902, 904, and 906, a deliveryvehicle departs from a distribution center with a shipment of products,later arrives at the delivery location of a shopping facility, andproducts are unloaded. At block 908, the conveyor assembly is set up,and sortation modules may be arranged interchangeably, regardless oforder. At blocks 910, 912, and 914, the product identification modulereads product labels, and the control circuit receives and identifiesthe products. At blocks 916, 918, and 920, sortation destination areasare determined by applying sortation criteria to product data, productsare moved to appropriate sortation destination areas via the sortationmodules, and products are then transported to the corresponding shoppingfacility locations.

In the description above, a number of different embodiments of systemsand processes have been disclosed. It should be understood that thespecific features and limitations of each system and process may becombined with other systems and processes. For example, the following isone such combination: (1) the conveyor assembly with interchangeablesortation modules whose positions are detected by the control circuitand that may be matched with destination areas if they are interchangedor replaced; (2) the conveyor assembly with powered roller(s) in eachsortation module to allow the control circuit to maintain a certainminimum distance between products; (3) the conveyor assembly with aproduct identification module that accesses multiple databases toidentify the product and access other product data; and (4) the smartrouting system for a conveyor assembly that may use and/or combinevarious sortation criteria and access shipping source and/or shoppingfacility databases to determine destination areas for the products.

In some embodiments involving sortation modules, there is provided aconveyor assembly comprising: a plurality of sortation modulesconfigured to move a product to one of a predetermined plurality ofsortation destination areas; a control circuit operatively coupled toeach of the sortation modules, the control circuit configured to:determine the destination area for the product; and communicate with thesortation module corresponding to the determined destination area todivert the product to the determined destination area; wherein thecontrol circuit and the plurality of sortation modules cooperate toreconfigure sortation destination areas to match positions of thesortation modules when one sortation module is interchanged or replacedwith another sortation module.

Further implementations of these embodiments are provided. For example,in some implementations, each sortation module of the conveyor assemblymay comprise: a uni-directional travel portion with a plurality ofrollers configured to propel the product in a first direction along therollers; and a bi-directional sorting portion with a first set ofrollers configured to propel the product in the first direction and asecond set of rollers to divert the product in a second direction to asortation destination area. In some embodiments, one sortation modulemay be configured for coupling to multiple parts of a second sortationmodule such that the plurality of sortation modules define a pluralityof different geometric arrangements. In some embodiments, the travelportion and the sorting portion of each sortation module may form asingle unitary structure. In some embodiments, at least one of therollers of each sortation module may comprise a powered roller with anadjustable rotation speed. In some embodiments, the conveyor assemblymay comprise a plurality of sensors disposed at predetermined locationson the plurality of sortation modules to detect positions of the producttraveling along the plurality of sortation modules. In some embodiments,the control circuit may be operatively coupled to the powered roller ofeach sortation module and to the plurality of sensors, and the controlcircuit may be configured to: determine the position of the productrelative to the position of an adjacent product on the plurality ofsortation modules; and activate a powered roller to adjust the speed ofthe product to maintain a predetermined minimum separation distancebetween it and the adjacent product. In some embodiments, the controlcircuit may comprise a controller core that communicates with eachsortation module to track the position of each sortation module. In someembodiments, each sortation module may communicate with other sortationmodules to track the position of each sortation module relative to oneanother. In some embodiments, each sortation module may comprise aconveyor coupling portion having a plurality of rollers and coupling thesorting portion to a destination area, and the conveyor coupling portionmay be collapsible to facilitate storage of the sortation module.

In some embodiments involving sortation modules, there is provided amethod of delivering products along a conveyor assembly comprising:providing a conveyor assembly comprising a plurality of sortationmodules and configured to move products to a predetermined plurality ofsortation destination areas; by a control circuit, determining adestination area for a product from the predetermined plurality ofsortation destination areas; propelling the product along the pluralityof sortation modules; communicating with a sortation modulecorresponding to the determined destination area; by the controlcircuit, diverting the product to the determined destination area; andby the control circuit, reconfiguring the predetermined plurality ofsortation destination areas to match positions of the sortation moduleswhen one sortation module is interchanged or replaced with anothersortation module.

Further implementations of these embodiments are provided. For example,in some implementations, each sortation module may comprise: auni-directional travel portion with a plurality of rollers configured topropel the product in a first direction along the rollers; and abi-directional sorting portion with a first set of rollers configured topropel the product in the first direction and a second set of rollers todivert the product in a second direction to a sortation destinationarea. In some embodiments, the uni-directional travel portion of onesortation module may be configured for coupling to multiple parts of asecond sortation module such that the plurality of sortation modulesdefine a plurality of different geometric arrangements. In someembodiments, the travel portion and the sorting portion of eachsortation module form a single unitary structure. In some embodiments,at least one of the rollers of each sortation module may comprise apowered roller with an adjustable rotation speed. In some embodiments, aplurality of sensors may be disposed at predetermined locations on theplurality of sortation modules to detect positions of the producttraveling along the plurality of sortation modules. In some embodiments,the control circuit may: determine the position of the product relativeto the position of an adjacent product on the plurality of sortationmodules; and activate a powered roller to adjust the speed of theproduct to maintain a predetermined minimum separation distance betweenit and the adjacent product. In some embodiments, a controller core maycommunicate with each sortation module to track the position of eachsortation module. In some embodiments, each sortation module maycommunicate with other sortation modules to track the position of eachsortation module relative to one another. In some embodiments, eachsortation module may further comprise a conveyor coupling portion havinga plurality of rollers and coupling the sorting portion to a destinationarea, the conveyor coupling portion being collapsible to facilitatestorage of the sortation module.

In some embodiments involving a product identification module, there isprovided a conveyor assembly to distribute products to a plurality ofdestination areas comprising: a product identification module configuredto read identification data from an identification label disposed on aproduct; a plurality of sortation modules configured to move the productto one of a predetermined plurality of sortation destination areas; acontrol circuit operatively coupled to the product identification moduleand to each of the sortation modules, the control circuit configured to:receive the identification data from the product identification moduleto determine the destination area for the product; and cooperate withthe plurality of sortation modules to move the product to the determineddestination area; wherein the control circuit is configured to use theproduct identification data to access other data relating to the productas sortation criteria to selectively determine the destination area forthe product.

Further implementations of these embodiments are provided. For example,in some implementations, the product identification module may comprisea scan tunnel or arm positioned above or adjacent one of the pluralityof sortation modules. In some embodiments, the product identificationmodule may comprise at least one of a bar code reader, an RFID reader,an NFC reader, a laser imager, an optical sensor, an image processor, ora text capture device for reading the identification label. In someembodiments, the product identification module may be configured to readboth identification data and the other data relating to the product fromthe identification label. In some embodiments, the productidentification module may be configured to read an identifiercorresponding to a shipment of products and the control circuit may beconfigured to access the other data relating to the product based on theidentifier. In some embodiments, the control circuit may be configuredto wirelessly access the other data relating to the product from one ormore databases. In some embodiments, the control circuit may beconfigured to move a product to a predetermined destination area whenthe product identification module cannot read the identification labeldisposed on the product. In some embodiments, the system may furthercomprise a handheld identification label reader configured to read theidentification label at the predetermined destination area.

In some embodiments involving a product identification module, there isprovided a method of distributing products to a plurality of destinationareas comprising: providing a conveyor assembly configured to moveproducts to a predetermined plurality of destination areas; by a productidentification module, reading identification data from anidentification label disposed on a product; by a control circuit,receiving the identification data to determine a destination area forthe product from among the predetermined plurality of destination areas;by the control circuit, using the product identification data to accessother data relating to the product as sortation criteria to selectivelydetermine the destination area for the product; and moving the productto the selected destination area.

Further implementations of these embodiments are provided. For example,in some implementations, the product identification module may comprisea scan tunnel or arm positioned above or adjacent one of the pluralityof sortation modules. In some implementations, the productidentification module may comprise at least one of a bar code reader, anRFID reader, an NFC reader, a laser imager, an optical sensor, an imageprocessor, or a text capture device for reading the identificationlabel. In some implementations, the control circuit may determine thesource of a shipment containing the product from the identificationlabel. In some implementations, the product identification module mayread an identifier corresponding to a shipment of products, and thecontrol circuit may access the other data relating to the product basedon the identifier. In some implementations, the control circuit maywirelessly access the other data relating to the product from one ormore databases. In some implementations, the control circuit may move aproduct to a predetermined destination area when the productidentification module cannot read the identification label disposed onthe product. In some implementations, a handheld identification labelreader may be configured to read the identification label at thepredetermined destination area.

In some embodiments involving a smart routing system, there is provideda smart routing system for sorting products shipped to a shoppingfacility along a conveyor assembly comprising: a plurality of sortationmodules configured to move a product to one of a predetermined pluralityof sortation destination areas; a control circuit operatively coupled toeach of the sortation modules, the control circuit configured to: accessat least one of shopping facility data and shipping data regarding theproduct; determine a destination area for the product based on at leastone of the shopping facility data and the shipping data as sortationcriteria; and communicate with the plurality of sortation modules tomove the product to the determined destination area.

Further implementations of these embodiments are provided. For example,in some implementations, the control circuit may be configured toselectively determine the destination area for the product based on thecombination of the shopping facility data and the shipping data. In someembodiments, the shipping data may include information regarding atleast one of the quantity of the product and the types of products beingshipped. In some embodiments, the control circuit may selectivelydetermine the destination area based, at least in part, on at least oneof the department, category, and sales location of the product in theshopping facility. In some embodiments, the control circuit mayselectively determine the destination area based, at least in part, onshopping facility inventory information including at least one of theon-hand inventory, shelf capacity, and inventory status of the productat the shopping facility. In some embodiments, the control circuit mayassign the product to a predetermined destination area for stocking ofthe product for sale to customers when the on-hand inventory at theshopping facility is below a predetermined minimum threshold. In someembodiments, the control circuit may selectively determine thedestination area based, at least in part, on current productavailability information at the shopping facility. In some embodiments,the control circuit may selectively determine the destination areabased, at least in part, on shopping facility planning informationregarding future planned sales of the product. In some embodiments, thecontrol circuit may selectively determine the destination area based, atleast in part, on shopping facility staffing information at the time ofsorting of the product. In some embodiments, the control circuit mayselectively determine the destination area based, at least in part, onthe status of the product as to be stored in a storage area.

In some embodiments involving a smart routing method, there is provideda method for sorting products shipped to a shopping facility along aconveyor assembly comprising: providing a conveyor assembly with aplurality of sortation modules configured to move a product to one of apredetermined plurality of sortation destination areas; by a controlcircuit, accessing at least one of shopping facility data and shippingdata regarding the product; by the control circuit, determining adestination area for the product based on at least one of the shoppingfacility data and the shipping data as sortation criteria; and by thecontrol circuit, communicating with the plurality of sortation modulesto move the product to the determined destination area.

Further implementations of these embodiments are provided. For example,in some implementations, the control circuit may selectively determinethe destination area for the product based on the combination of theshopping facility data and the shipping data. In some embodiments, theshipping data may include information regarding at least one of thequantity of the product and the types of products being shipped. In someembodiments, the control circuit may selectively determine thedestination area based, at least in part, on at least one of thedepartment, category, and sales location of the product in the shoppingfacility. In some embodiments, the control circuit may selectivelydetermine the destination area based, at least in part, on shoppingfacility inventory information including at least one of the on-handinventory, shelf capacity, and inventory status of the product at theshopping facility. In some embodiments, the control circuit may assignthe product to a predetermined destination area for stocking of theproduct for sale to customers when the on-hand inventory at the shoppingfacility is below a predetermined minimum threshold. In someembodiments, the control circuit may selectively determine thedestination area based, at least in part, on current productavailability information at the shopping facility. In some embodiments,the control circuit may selectively determine the destination areabased, at least in part, on shopping facility planning informationregarding future planned sales of the product. In some embodiments, thecontrol circuit may selectively determine the destination area based, atleast in part, on shopping facility staffing information at the time ofsorting of the product. In some embodiments, the control circuit mayselectively determine the destination area based, at least in part, onthe status of the product as to be stored in a storage area.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that a wide variety of othermodifications, alterations, and combinations can also be made withrespect to the above described embodiments without departing from thescope of the invention, and that such modifications, alterations, andcombinations are to be viewed as being within the ambit of the inventiveconcept.

What is claimed is:
 1. A conveyor assembly comprising: a plurality ofsortation modules configured to move a product to one of a predeterminedplurality of sortation destination areas; a control circuit operativelycoupled to each of the sortation modules, the control circuit configuredto: determine the destination area for the product; and communicate withthe sortation module corresponding to the determined destination area todivert the product to the determined destination area; wherein thecontrol circuit and the plurality of sortation modules cooperate toreconfigure sortation destination areas to match positions of thesortation modules when one sortation module is interchanged or replacedwith another sortation module.
 2. The conveyor assembly of claim 1,wherein each sortation module comprises: a uni-directional travelportion with a plurality of rollers configured to propel the product ina first direction along the rollers; and a bi-directional sortingportion with a first set of rollers configured to propel the product inthe first direction and a second set of rollers to divert the product ina second direction to a sortation destination area.
 3. The conveyorassembly of claim 1, wherein one sortation module is configured forcoupling to multiple parts of a second sortation module such that theplurality of sortation modules define a plurality of different geometricarrangements.
 4. The conveyor assembly of claim 2, wherein the travelportion and the sorting portion of each sortation module form a singleunitary structure.
 5. The conveyor assembly of claim 2, wherein at leastone of the rollers of each sortation module comprises a powered rollerwith an adjustable rotation speed.
 6. The conveyor assembly of claim 5,further comprising a plurality of sensors disposed at predeterminedlocations on the plurality of sortation modules to detect positions ofthe product traveling along the plurality of sortation modules.
 7. Theconveyor assembly of claim 6, wherein the control circuit is operativelycoupled to the powered roller of each sortation module and to theplurality of sensors, the control circuit configured to: determine theposition of the product relative to the position of an adjacent producton the plurality of sortation modules; and activate a powered roller toadjust the speed of the product to maintain a predetermined minimumseparation distance between it and the adjacent product.
 8. The conveyorassembly of claim 1, wherein the control circuit comprises a controllercore that communicates with each sortation module to track the positionof each sortation module.
 9. The conveyor assembly of claim 1, whereineach sortation module communicates with other sortation modules to trackthe position of each sortation module relative to one another.
 10. Theconveyor assembly of claim 2, wherein each sortation module furthercomprises a conveyor coupling portion having a plurality of rollers andcoupling the sorting portion to a destination area, the conveyorcoupling portion being collapsible to facilitate storage of thesortation module.
 11. A method of delivering products along a conveyorassembly comprising: providing a conveyor assembly comprising aplurality of sortation modules and configured to move products to apredetermined plurality of sortation destination areas; by a controlcircuit, determining a destination area for a product from thepredetermined plurality of sortation destination areas; propelling theproduct along the plurality of sortation modules; communicating with asortation module corresponding to the determined destination area; bythe control circuit, diverting the product to the determined destinationarea; and by the control circuit, reconfiguring the predeterminedplurality of sortation destination areas to match positions of thesortation modules when one sortation module is interchanged or replacedwith another sortation module.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein eachsortation module comprises: a uni-directional travel portion with aplurality of rollers configured to propel the product in a firstdirection along the rollers; and a bi-directional sorting portion with afirst set of rollers configured to propel the product in the firstdirection and a second set of rollers to divert the product in a seconddirection to a sortation destination area.
 13. The method of claim 12,wherein the uni-directional travel portion of one sortation module isconfigured for coupling to multiple parts of a second sortation modulesuch that the plurality of sortation modules define a plurality ofdifferent geometric arrangements.
 14. The method of claim 12, whereinthe travel portion and the sorting portion of each sortation module forma single unitary structure.
 15. The method of claim 12, wherein at leastone of the rollers of each sortation module comprises a powered rollerwith an adjustable rotation speed.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein aplurality of sensors are disposed at predetermined locations on theplurality of sortation modules to detect positions of the producttraveling along the plurality of sortation modules.
 17. The method ofclaim 16, further comprising, by the control circuit: determining theposition of the product relative to the position of an adjacent producton the plurality of sortation modules; and activating a powered rollerto adjust the speed of the product to maintain a predetermined minimumseparation distance between it and the adjacent product.
 18. The methodof claim 11, further comprising, by a controller core, communicatingwith each sortation module to track the position of each sortationmodule.
 19. The method of claim 11, further comprising, by eachsortation module, communicating with other sortation modules to trackthe position of each sortation module relative to one another.
 20. Themethod of claim 12, wherein each sortation module further comprises aconveyor coupling portion having a plurality of rollers and coupling thesorting portion to a destination area, conveyor coupling portion beingcollapsible to facilitate storage of the sortation module.